Marcelo Chierighini on The Morning Swim Show

Oct. 18, 2012: Marcelo Chierighini is a favorite for the NCAA title in the 100 freestyle in March, and on today's edition of The Morning Swim Show, the Brazilian talks about the work he’s doing to make that title run possible. Chierighini also talks about his experience at the Olympic Games, his excitement about his home country hosting the Olympics and following the legacies of great sprinters at Auburn. Because he said he was not fully tapered at last March’s NCAAs, Chierighini said he’s more excited about the possibilities of fast swimming in his junior year.

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Jeff Commings: This is the Morning Swim Show for Thursday, October 18th, 2012. I am your host Jeff Commings. Today in the FINIS Monitor is Auburn Junior Marcelo Chierighini who is looking to continue Auburn's great tradition in sprint freestyle this season and Marcelo joins us now from Auburn, Alabama. Marcelo, good to see you, how are you today.
Marcelo Chierighini: Good to see you, man I am good. It is a pleasure talking to you guys.
Jeff: You too, so you just had your first dual meet of the season. Tell us how that went for you?
Marcelo: I was pretty happy with my times. 20.2 in the 50. 44.4 on the 100 and then 44.4 again leading off the relay so it is pretty good. We are really tired and working really hard so it is a pretty good time for this time in the season.
Jeff: What is your motivation level for dual meets especially when you are going into them during hard training?
Marcelo: Well, one thing about here in United States is that dual meets are so competitive and we don't have any choice, we just need to go fast and try to beat the other team and every time I am really excited to race in the dual meets.
Jeff: And you went 20.2 in your 50 compared to last year at this time, is that faster or slower or about the same?
Marcelo: I think last year I did around 20.5 or 20-point high or something, but yeah, I think I am definitely faster this year in the 50.
Jeff: Well that is good. How about your 100, faster as well?
Marcelo: I remember my hundred last year my first one I mean I was 43.9 so a little bit as lower, but definitely working harder this year especially on the lifting.
Jeff: Yeah, they will definitely affect you in the longer races.
Marcelo: Yeah exactly.
Jeff: So last season at the NCAA's you were second in the 100 freestyle, you know you were second to Jimmy Feigen who is no longer there so that kind puts you as the favorite. What do you think it is going to take for you to win in March?
Marcelo: I think it is going to take around 41 high, 41 mid. That will probably win.
Jeff: Do you think you have that in you?
Marcelo: Yeah, definitely.
Jeff: Last season were you expecting to go 41?
Marcelo: Yes, I was expecting to go a little bit faster than my freshman year, but since we have my trials like one month after NCAAs, me and Brett, we decided I would not would have taper, full taper for NCAAs so we rested but we didn't do a full taper so I probably should go faster in this season.
Jeff: Well just hearing that is probably making a lot of your competitors a little bit nervous knowing that you went 42.3 not fully rested and it has got to make you excited to know that you did that not fully rested.
Marcelo: Yeah, I am really excited for this season. I want to see how fast can I go fully tapered and let's see I am excited about it.
Jeff: Now is the fact that you weren't fully tapered the reason why you weren't as good in your 50 at NCAAs or are you just better at the 100?
Marcelo: I think my 50, I think has always been a little bit worse. I prefer swimming the 100 but after NCAA's last year at my trials I really did a huge improvement on the 50. I dropped from 22.8 to 22.0 so I am really excited to see how fast can I go in yards with a full taper in yards.
Jeff: Yeah, it will be interesting so you said after NCAA's last March you went straight to your Brazilian Olympic Trials. You did make the Olympic team, you got to swim in the relays. What was that experience like for you?
Marcelo: It was a great experience that I was really happy with my results, but we really didn't swim that good. We didn't put Cesar on the prelims and we got ninth almost in the final. I was a little upset with that, but I was really happy with my performance.
Jeff: Well I imagine that now that the next Olympics is in Rio in your home country or Brazil, that Brazil is getting all excited about the possibility of winning lots of medals. What was the talk after London to kind of in terms of getting excited for 2016?
Marcelo: Well, now all the Brazilian swimmers, we are really, really excited. We are already thinking about it. It's actually kind of far, it's 4 years from now, but we are already thinking in Rio and I mean we just need to think each year, you know next year Barcelona and Pan Pacs in 2014, whatever but we are definitely looking for Rio 2016.
Jeff: How often do you get to go back home to Brazil?
Marcelo: I usually get back like twice per year so like for my trials in March or actually in April and for Christmas.
Jeff: Well, you said in interviews before that Cesar Cielo was kind of your inspiration for leaving Brazil and coming to the United States for college. When you got on campus, how accurate were the descriptions that he gave of campus and the swim team?
Marcelo: It was a really good description. He told me that here will be the best place for me, the best place for sprinters and it actually is. It has a great place for sprinters and you are surrounded by fantastic sprinters here. Brett was a great sprinter. Fred Bousquet, he was one of the swimmers that he teached me a lot about sprint and this is a perfect place for me, fit perfect for me.
Jeff: How does it feel to know that you are following in the footsteps of people like - now Coach Brett Hawke and like I said Fred Bousquet and Cesar?
Marcelo: She was great being like part of this program. I really would like to do like much more to be at the at the level that these guys are right now, but I am really excited.
Jeff: Well speaking of the things you need to do obviously this is just your junior year so you know you got another year after this, but are you doing anything differently this season to like I sad help you increase your chances of winning at the NCAAs?
Marcelo: Yeah, this season me and Brett, we are talking that I really need to improve my start, like some little details you know like start, breakouts and I mean my swimming is good. I have to improve on especially these breakouts, turns and starts. It is like really important for yards so this year we are working more on these little details.
Jeff: Very interesting. What are you studying there at Auburn?
Marcelo: Right now I am doing Spanish. I was doing business and then I changed to Spanish.
Jeff: Well, it probably isn't too hard to learn Spanish. I mean Portuguese and Spanish are too different.
Marcelo: Yeah, they are not that different.
Jeff: So what would you be using that Spanish degree for?
Marcelo: Well actually I still don't know. I am doing like the Spanish for, I don't know I can use it maybe in the future but I don't know yet. I am focused on swimming but let's see I don't know honestly.
Jeff: What was that that was just tossed your way there?
Marcelo: That was like a box of coffee.
Jeff: Oh there you go.
Marcelo: Right here.
Jeff: Every sprinter's best friends is a good a cup of coffee before a race.
Marcelo: That is a Brazilian coffee.
Jeff: Does that say Ghini?
Marcelo: Yeah from my last name Chierighini.
Jeff: There you go maybe you could be there once you are done with college you can get a nice little sponsorship with Ghini Coffee.
Marcelo: That is actually from my dad. My dad has a company in Brazil so I just bring some of this coffee to Brett to try.
Jeff: Very nice, very nice as I said it is the caffeine, a little cup of coffee never have I tried before a 50 so I am sure you it is coming in handy for you.
Marcelo: Yeah definitely.
Jeff: Well Marcelo, thanks so much for joining us today. We are looking forward to seeing how you do this season and especially down the road as we get ready for Rio.
Marcelo: Thank you, thank you man.
Jeff: All right. That is Marcelo Chierighini joining us from Auburn, Alabama and that is going to do it for today's edition of the Morning Swim Show. Be sure to login to swimmingworld.com on Facebook or Twitter to get the latest news from Swimming World. I am Jeff Commings. Thanks for watching.